Sunset Boulevard

Starring: William Holden and Gloria Swanson

Quite controversial for the time. I was felt as if the director was betraying his fellow movie makers by exposing stories about what a person would do for fame in Hollywood, even sleep with a has-been actress. The cast director made a superb decision when casting Swanson in the leading the female role as the legendary silent movie actress, Norma Desmond, because she was a has-been actress herself. Furthermore, the actor playing her husband/butler in Sunset Boulevard was Swanson's real director. In fact, he directed the film that Norma Desmond watches during the movie. This was the film Gloria Swanson took a leading role in just as she started to lose her popularity. Fortunately, these actors showed no animosity on the screen. This movie was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to All About Eve, and rightfully so! Good movie, different, a little morbid. However, Swanson is a tremendous actress, who just cannot grow up and realize that her acting career is over. She cannot accept the fact that her fans have abandoned her for a younger face. When William Holden recognizes Norma Desmond, and says, "I remember you. Norma Desmond, you used to be big!" And then,, Swanson replies demurely replies, "I was BIG. It's the pictures that got small!" It is just as my Aunt Farris says, "She has trouble accepting her age like so many others."